Riverside Avenue reopens to traffic Saturday afternoon

Riverside Avenue, which has been undergoing a series of closures as crews reconstruct the roadway, will open to traffic for its entire one-mile length the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 20, if weather permits crews to finish work that day.

The City began the reconstruction project in 2010, and the last layer of asphalt is being placed on the roadway. Although additional streetscape work and other construction is still needed, the street itself will open to traffic in both directions from Cedar Avenue to Franklin Avenue once this final paving is completed Saturday. Short term lane closures and detours may still occur as construction work is finalized.

Riverside Avenue is a main thoroughfare for the Cedar-Riverside/West Bank community. Around 15,000 vehicles drove on this street a day prior to construction, a number that will likely climb now that the Central Corridor light-rail transit has altered traffic patterns in this area.

Along with a smoother driving surface, the reconstructed street will have eastbound and westbound bike lanes its entire length. The project will also have improved areas for pedestrian traffic, including curb islands, bump-outs and curb extensions that reduce street crossing distances.